Life is Strange: Aftertime
by PresidentFTR
Summary: Four years ago, Max Caulfield was forced to sacrifice her best friend, Chloe Price, in order to save her hometown, Arcadia Bay. Now afraid of her time-travelling powers, she struggles with building a life in her new home of Los Angeles, California. However, through her trials, she meets a struggling mother, Rachel Amber, who opens her heart and mind.
1. Moving On

"What if I told you that you could rewind time?" said Max, recording into her tape recorder. "Would you fix your mistakes? Or would you stop any possibility of making one ever again?" Max takes a brief pause to stare at the a childhood photo on her desk: a photo of her and her former best friend Chloe. The picture read "The Pirates of Arcadia Bay". In a moment of silence, she sheds a single tear, then quickly rubs her eyes before continuing. "I used to think that too...but it's not true. The universe gets what it wants in the end, and there's no way to stop it." She tries to hold back her tears. "My name is Max Caulfield, and this is my story."

—

Max rolls in her bed from side to side, muttering responses to a hellish nightmare. She bolts up from her bed, "Chloe!" she yells. Instead, a veil of melancholy greets her as the morning sunlight pierces through the blinds of her bedroom window. Max lies back down, silently staring at the ceiling fan, trying to find a moment of calm. However, an alarm clock breaks through the peace and quiet. It reads 9 AM. She gets up and sits on the edge of her bed. Her room is a mess. Letters, polaroids, novels, books, movies, and anything more lay scattered all over the floor, while her dirty clothes overflow in the hamper on the opposite side of the room. She glances at the mirror hanging on the opposite wall and sees a stream of tears coming from her eyes. "What's this?" Max thought to herself, quickly wiping the tears away. Suddenly, a startling voice pierces the wall. Someone starts knocking on the door.

"Max! Time to wake up!" the person shouts.

"Coming!", she said.

Max slowly opens the door and it's her roommate, Kate Marsh, still wearing her bunny pajamas with a toothbrush in hand. She's brushing her teeth in the bathroom across the thin hallway.

"Morning Kate" greeted Max with tired eyes.

Kate leans over to take a peek at Max's room. "Hey Max, you okay?" mumbles Kate with the toothbrush in her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm okay...was just having a bad dream" said Max.

Kate quickly walks to the sink and finishes. "So...You ready for that interview later?" she asks in an awkward manner.

"Oh...that's today? I think so." said Max in a reserved tone. She looks down at her hand.

"Come on Max, I know you can do it! I believe in you!" said Kate. "Remember what we practiced the other day and you'll be fine"

Max looks up and smiles. She asks, "What are you up to today?"

Kate responds, "I'm reading to the kids later at the Pages at 10".

Max's expression changes. "Ughhh Kate? It's already past 9"

Kate looks at her watch. "Oh shit, I'm gonna be late". She quickly runs down the hall and turns around halfway. "Max, we'll talk again later okay? We'll grab tea or something!" She waves before sprinting to her room.

Max waves back, "Sure thing!" she shouts. Max returns to her room and gently closes the door behind her. She leans back against the door and drops to a fetal position. She continues glaring at her right hand. She thinks to herself, "That was really awkward. Kate obviously noticed something was wrong. I could rewind and-" Max interrupts herself by grabbing her arm. "It's okay Max, get a hold of yourself" Max gets up. "I'd better get ready."

—

Max continues speaking into her tape recorder. "Kate's been a close friend since I've moved back to Arcadia Bay. Ever since we graduated, we both had the idea of moving to LA. Eventually, we shared an apartment complex, since cost was cheaper. It was worth it though. It felt nice to have a familiar face around." She pauses to look out of her apartment window. "We were talking about a job she found. Ever since Chloe died, I've only been taking requests from people I know." She takes a deep breath. "I wanted to work for LA Weekly, one of the most popular magazine companies in Los Angeles. They feature journalists, artists, and especially photographers. I needed client experience and Kate told me about it, and figured, why not? It was worth the try".

—

Max exits the elevator and walks up to the secretary's desk nervously. "Um..hello...I'm here to see Mr. Porter?" she asks. "I have an appointment with him at 11."

The secretary inquires, "Oh sure thing...What's your name?"

Max calmly replies, "Caulfield. Maxine Caulfield"

The secretary quickly types her name on the computer. "Ah yes, Ms. Caulfield! I have you checked in. Please go down the hall to your right and have a seat in the open lobby over there. Mr. Porter will be right with you shortly."

Max walks down the hall to the lobby as directed and found several people waiting. A row of large windows along the wall show off into the morning LA skyline. Max quickly finds an open spot and stares into space. "Geez, I can't believe it's been 4 years since Blackwell", Max thinks to herself. "To be honest, it's been rough, but I know it'll get better somehow" She sighs, "I haven't taken photos as much as I've used to. I've been too busy looking at older ones". Max shakes her head. "Don't think about that now, Super Max. You have to focus on the interview today. Remember, you have a 'gift'." She pulls out her portfolio and flips through the pages looking at the different photos she's taken over the past years. From a few weddings to private photo shoots to pictures she took at Blackwell, she feels nostalgic. As she skims through, a blank polaroid film fell out without Max noticing. Max leans forward. "Wow, I remember this shot! The warm sun reflecting across the water into the trees is my favorite part. Shots like these make me really miss Arcadia" Max thinks to herself. Staring at the photo, she thinks of all the friends she's made in the past and where they are now. Suddenly, a blank polaroid interrupts her view.

"Excuse me miss? You dropped this" a voice said.

Max grabs the blank film and looks up, "Thank you Miss-"? Max hesitates, recognizing the voice. The woman stands tall with short, blonde hair, a beaded necklace and a signature cashmere coat. It's Victoria Chase, her former Blackwell Academy rival.

"Victoria-" "Max-" said the two simultaneously. Neither of them knew exactly what to say.

Victoria stutters, "W-What are you doing here?"

"I...have an interview today...with Mr. Porter". Max awkwardly folds her arms. "What about you?"

"After that whole incident with Nathan, I went to college over in UCLA. My Dad is friends with Mr. Porter and eventually I got to show him my work, which landed me here."

"Really? I figured you'd be selling off your photos to art galleries by now."

"Not yet. I'll eventually get there" said Victoria reluctantly. "I'm hoping to learn a lot from working for Mr. Porter. Then when the most opportune time comes, I'll take it"

Max smiles. "Don't tell me you're seducing him too."

"As if!" interrupts Victoria in a furious tone. "I don't need charm to take the shot, Max". Victoria looks over at her portfolio and glances over all her photos. "Let me guess: you're still using that retro, geeky camera of yours, eh?"

"You know me all too well Victoria" said Max in a calm voice. Victoria smiles as the two share a brief pause. "Victoria, I-"

"Maxine Caulfield?" yelled a voice interrupting from across the lobby. A man stands in front of the office entrance. He's about six feet tall with a bushy beard and curly brown hair coming out of a baseball hat.

"Here! Max responds, standing up from her seat. She quickly gathers her things including the blank film from Victoria. "I'll see you around, Victoria?" asked Max.

Victoria turns around and starts walking the opposite direction. She stops halfway. "Au revoir" she said, waving with the back of her hand.

Max waves back.

—

"Hello Ms. Caulfield, pleasure to meet you" The man extends his hand. "I'm Mr. Porter, executive producer of LA Weekly". Max shakes his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Porter. Please, call me Max"

Mr. Porter points down the hallway, "Okay Max, right this way"

Max walks down the hallway and finds an open door. Instantly, she notices the several awards and articles hanging on the right wall. Newspaper headlines and magazine clippings with Mr. Porter accepting awards read, "The Local Protegé", "The Running Man with a Camera", "Mr. Polaroid", among other things.

Mr. Porter leans against the open door in a cool stance, smiling with his arms folded. "Impressive, don't you think?" he asked.

Max continues to stare at the wall of awards. "I...had no idea you were also a photographer. Especially someone who's also old school"

"I like to think they were a little overdramatic when it came to the headlines" Mr. Porter sits down at his desk and Max follows him. "Trust me, you're not the only one who's said that to me". He opens a drawer, pulls out an application and his reading glasses. He starts reading through. "So Max, I see you've graduated from Blackwell Academy, specializing in photography" He takes his glasses off and stares at Max. "So what makes you want to work for me?"

Max makes eye contact, hoping to make a good first impression. From Mr. Porter's intense stance, she can tell he's looking for an honest answer.

"I'm looking to improve my skills" Max said wholeheartedly. "I haven't done anything like this before, and I'm hoping that you can give me a chance"

The executive leans back in his chair in a curious, yet unsatisfied look. He puts his reading glasses back on and continues reading in a brief silence.

Max cowers in her seat. "Oh shit, I completely messed that up" Max looks down at her hand. "If I can rewind-" Max quickly grabs her hand. "No...I can't do that. I can't let anyone else ever get hurt. Chloe wouldn't forgive me."

Mr. Porter notices Max's body language, trying to read into his candidate. "May I see your portfolio?" he asks.

Max hesitates, "Of course!". She quickly pulls out her black portfolio and hands it to Mr. Porter. He flips through some of the pages and thinks to himself. Max tries to look down and follow what he's looking at.

"So Max, tell me about a time you helped someone" said Mr. Porter.

Max leans back, thinking of the best story to tell. She immediately recalls everything that has happened all those years ago in Blackwell and onwards. All the raw emotions lingering around her makes it feel all this happened just yesterday.

"When I was in Blackwell Academy, there was a friend of mine who was bullied really harshly. No one really wanted to help her, or even talk to her during that time. It got so bad that she tried to kill herself by jumping off the roof of my dorm."

Mr. Porter looks up and takes off his glasses. "What happened next?" he asks.

"I...talked her down from it. And then rushed her to a hospital" said Max.

Mr. Porter leans back in his chair. "That's amazing. I'm sure you're her hero".

"I don't think I really did that much. She did it herself" said Max in a sigh of relief.

Look satisfied, Mr. Porter continues flipping through Max's photos. "So I can see you're old school too huh? Why is that?" he asks.

"I prefer analog to digital" Max continues, "Even though many people today use dslrs or even their phones, I still prefer the vintage cameras. I can't really give an exact reason why"

Mr. Porter leans back and smiles. "I'm glad someone else thinks the same way" He opens another drawer and pulls out an old camera. "This was my first camera" he said, as he gently lets Max hold it. "I like to keep it around as a good luck charm. I can't really explain why though."

After examining Mr. Porter's camera, she gently hands it back. Mr. Porter checks his watch.

"Max, it seems we're almost out of time" he hands back her portfolio. "You seem promising"

"Thank you sir" said Max.

"I'll be looking at all the candidates later. If you are chosen, then you'll hear back from me or my secretary within the next couple days" Mr. Porter walks Max to his door. "Even if you don't hear anything, just know that you have to keep trying. Doesn't matter what happens: job or no job"

"Thank you Mr. Porter. That means a lot." said Max. The two share a brief handshake, and Max walks out the door.

—

Max opens the door to her apartment and walks into the living room. She can see Kate making something in the kitchen. It's about three in the afternoon.

"Hey Max, is that you?" asked Kate in a loud voice.

Max quickly walks to her room to change and drop her things off. "Yeah I'm here! Just got back from my interview!" yells Max from her room in response.

"That's good! Come over here I just made some tea!"

Max enters the dining room all changed in her casual, everyday clothes. "What's up, Kate?" she asks.

"Hey Max! There's someone I think you should meet" said Kate. "I was just having tea with her right now. She's in the other room at the moment."

"Oh really?" said Max in a confused tone.

Max looks at the dining table and realizes an extra cup was laid out still a quarter full. Kate brings a pot and another cup to the table. Both of them take a seat.

"I met her and her family at work today during story break" Kate begins to whisper. "She seems really cool. But she seems kind of troubled. I was wondering if you can help her with that."

"I don't know, Kate. I don't think I'm the best one to come to for advice on anything." said Max taking a deep breath.

Kate looks into the hallway behind Max.

"Oh, Max! Let me introduce you. This is my friend-" Max turns around and quickly recognizes the person's appearance,changing her expression. She was in shock. The woman's bracelet, blonde hair, plaid shirt and blue feather earring stood out to her. She approaches Max and extends her hand.

"Rachel Amber. Nice to meet you."


	2. Grief

"Some of you might be asking why," said Max to her tape recorder. "Why am I telling you about this, or why I chose you to listen." She takes a brief pause. "I'll get to that later" The tape recorder clicks. Max pulls out the tape, flips it over, and reinserts it. "Now...where were we?"

—

Rachel extends her hand to Max, greeting her with a warm, familiar smile. Similar to what feels like a lifetime ago, it's a perfect match to her missing persons poster.

" _Max...don't freak out...not yet_ " Max said to herself, trying her best not to give a fearful look. She grabs Rachel's hand. "Max Caulfield. Nice to meet you." Kate notices Max's hesitation.

Rachel responds with a curious look. "Hope you don't mind me asking, but have we met before?"

Max stutters. "Uhhh...no we haven't" she said awkwardly. Max forces a smile. "I'm just glad to see Kate make a new friend…"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." said Kate pouting in the distance. She walks over with a new pot of tea and fills all the cups at the table. Max and Rachel sit down with her.

Rachel takes a sip from her cup. "Wow...you weren't kidding" she said in disbelief. "It's really good."

Kate smiles, then turns to Max. "So Max, it turns out that Rachel grew up in Arcadia Bay too."

"Oh really?" Max said unsurprised. "How long did you live there?"

Rachel sets her cups down then stares off in the distance. "I stayed until my senior year at Blackwell. An opportunity came by, and I had to drop everything to go."

Max stares intensely at Rachel, but Rachel fails to notice. She suddenly feels a nudge and turns to Kate, who's shaking her head. Max takes a deep breath.

"What was it?" asked Kate.

Rachel looks at Kate. "At the time, my boyfriend- now husband was moving over here for work and I really wanted to follow." She stares off in the distance again. "And plus, I really needed to leave Arcadia" She looks at Max. "I think you know what I'm talking about: The Arcadia Bay politics, the dread judgment of the people around you, and the expectations of others- the worst." She folds her arms in disgust. "Fuck that."

Kate nudges Max under the table turns urging her to say something. However, Max fails to notice. She ponders at how true Rachel's words are.

Kate breaks the silence. "I'm sure you had a couple friends around?"

Rachel looks up and forces a smile. "I did...once" She looks back down. "She's gone now. A couple years ago, she passed away. However, I was already here."

Max looks down at her hand and clenches her fist. " _How could she say that so easily"_ she thought to herself. She stands up and pounds the table as loud as she could. Kate could only look on.

"She has a name you know!" shouted Max across the table trying her best to hold back her tears. Rachel looks back in surprise. "Maybe, if you didn't leave her for an overly-aggressive, drug induced psychopath, Chloe would still be alive right now!"

Rachel stares at Max in a cold demeanor. Her facial expression screams both a sense of calm and numbness. She declares, "You...have no idea what you're talking about." The two stare at each other intensely. While Max's tears fills her eyes, Rachel's weren't. A tense vibe floats in the air.

"Max!" shouts Kate, staring at the two of them. Her interruption made Max fall back in her seat.

"I think it's best if I go right now." said Rachel in a neutral tone. "Thanks for tea, Kate. I really appreciated the company." Rachel walks to the door and lets herself out. Kate and Max were both silent.

Kate looks at Max, who's cowering in her chair. "Max, what's the matter with you?" she said angrily.

Max sat there silently, zoning off into space. Tears stream down her eyes as a waterfall would in a rainforest. She tries to force words out of her mouth. She stares at Kate with teary eyes. "She killed my best friend."

Kate's expression changes. She realizes that Max's emotion are in turmoil. Kate takes a deep breath and moves a chair to sit beside her. "Chloe...as in Chloe Price? The girl who died years ago?" she asks.

Max takes a deep breath. "Yes"

Kate looks down, thinking of the right words to say. "Max, I know it's tough to accept. But you have to move on. It was a long time ago."

Max looks down. "No, Kate. It was much more than that. So. much. more. I couldn't save her."

"What are you talking about?"

Max takes a deep breath. "When we were in Blackwell, I was in the girls' bathroom and Nathan Prescott was there. Chloe soon followed and the next thing I knew he had a gun pointed at her." She turns to her friend. "I watched her die, Kate."

Kate hesitates. "Max I-I'm so sorry..."

"Next thing I knew, I woke up in Jefferson's lecture beforehand and realized that I could rewind time." said Max.

Kate looks on reluctantly. "Max, you can't be serious."

"I saved her...multiple times...but then a tornado came to destroy the town and-"

"And?"

"I had to let her die" said Max. Her tears stop. "Chloe told me she went to see Nathan that day, because she needed money. She was doing it for Rachel." Kate looks down speechless. "If Rachel didn't leave her behind…" Max thought out loud. "Chloe would still be here."

Kate remains speechless, and folds her arms impatiently, thinking of what to say. After a brief moment of silence, she finally speaks up. "Max...you're right...it sounds like Rachel is to blame." Max looks up to pay close attention. "But it seems like it's your fault too."

"Kate-" said Max interrupting to no avail.

"I don't know anything about what you're talking about: time travel, Chloe, or even how the two of you know know each other. However, I do know that you're being serious." Kate takes a deep breath. "As crazy as it sounds, both of you gave up on her. And I know you've been acting weird since Blackwell but...that doesn't give you the right to take it out on other people."

Max removes her hands from her face, hunching over in thought. "You know I don't like to preach, but I think you should hear something." Kate gets up and walks to the kitchen counter, grabbing a bible before returning. She opens it and starts reading out loud. "Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest-"

Max interjects, "Matthew 11:28"

Kate looks at Max with a concerned and surprised look. "It's one of my favorite verses. How did you-?"

"It's a long story" said Max. "Look Kate, I know what you're trying to do. But thanks, I get it. I'm gonna go work on some things. We'll talk again later?"

Kate looks concerned. "Sure thing, if you say so. We'll talk again later."

Full of restless thoughts, Max walks to her room and closes the door behind her.

—

Max continues her recording. "Kate was right about one thing. I **was** being a jerk to Rachel. It's not entirely her fault or mine… but I was being a total asshole at the very least" She sighs, "I guess I was just shocked to see her again. I've heard so much about her-or at least how perfect is. But I guess Blackwell only saw one side of her. Or maybe: I made Rachel into a completely different person, like some sort of alternate reality." Max scratches her head. "Whatever the case was, I knew I had to apologize to her somehow. So I spent the rest of the night thinking. Eventually, I asked Kate for Rachel's address and eventually went up to her apartment. However, nothing really prepared me for anything after that."

—

Max walks up to the apartment complex and realizes the door is locked. She looks to the side and sees a bunch of doorbells with a full list of names. " _Rachel is married to Frank, so…"_ she skims through the list. " _Bowers...bowers...bow-ah. Found it."_ She rings the bell.

"Hello?" asked Rachel from the intercom.

"Hey...um...Rachel? It's Max from earlier." Max said awkwardly.

"Oh...hey Max…"

"Look...about earlier...I was being a total asshole. I was being completely out of line." The intercom stays silent for a brief moment. "Uhhhh….hello?"

"Hey Max...I'm unlocking the door...come on up" said Rachel in a calm tone. _"Huh...it seems she didn't hear me"_

The door lock buzzes and Max walks inside. After going up the elevator, she can hear voices in the hallway coming from Rachel's apartment. The door is slightly open and Max peers in closely. She sees Rachel and a familiar face in the distance. " _That signature jacket and tattooed collar, with his tall demeanor. That's definitely Frank._ "

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Frank yells.

"You're not listening….What I'm saying is-" Rachel stops and stares at the door, noticing Max peering in. Casually, Rachel walks to the door to let Max in. "Hey there Max." she said with tired eyes.

"Sorry...the door was slightly open"

"Who the hell is that?" Frank yells.

Rachel leans in. "Max, play it cool" she whispers. She turns to Frank and yells across the room, "It's the babysitter!" She hold the door for Max, then quickly walks to Frank in the other room. "I'll be back in a second" she declares.

Max walks into the apartment and looks around. " _Wowsers...so this is where Rachel Amber lives...or would live"_ She looks around and finds some pictures on display: vacation pictures of Frank and Rachel. " _They look so happy together. Maybe Chloe was wrong."_

Rachel returns to the front room. "Sorry about that I-" Frank walks in to interrupt.

"I thought I fucking told you we don't need a baby sitter. And even so, how come this is the first time, I've ever even heard about you?" he said, slowly approaching Max. "I don't-" Frank interrupts again, towering over her. "Did you think you can just come to my home without me knowing?!"

Rachel interjects. "Frank, that's enough!" She pulls him over. "You know as well as I do that you're trying to scare her off, just like the last one."

"But I-"

"But nothing. You know that we wouldn't need one if you were **actually** home for once."

Frank's speechless expression describes it all. Angry at everything, including himself, he leaves the apartment and slams the front door behind him.

Rachel shakes her head. "I'm sorry about that. My husband has a tendency to be skeptical with strangers."

Max smirks. "Babysitter?"

"Oh sorry, I need to ask you a favor. Think of it as paying me back for earlier." Rachel walks into the other room and slowly comes back. She's holding a baby's hand, helping her learn how to walk. The baby looks only a couple years old. "Max, meet Ellie, my daughter."


End file.
